Jacksonville Jaguars Position Preview: Wide Receivers

What does the Jaguars receiver room look like before Week 1?

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk (13) runs during an organized team activity Tuesday, May 28, 2024 at EverBank Stadium’s Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA

After losing two former starters (Calvin Ridley, Zay Jones),  the Jaguars wide receiver group will have some new contributors in 2024. While Christian Kirk will likely serve as the group’s returning veteran presence, Gabe Davis, Brian Thomas Jr and Parker Washington should also have the chance to be productive next season. 

Let's take a look at four wide receivers who are expected to have a consistent role in the Jaguars offense:

Christian Kirk

Kirk’s highest performing professional season came in 2022, his first year as a Jaguar. After being a 2-time First Team All-SEC selection at Texas A&M (SEC Freshman Of The Year in 2015), his tenure as an Arizona Cardinal was hindered by inconsistent quarterback play and injuries (broken foot, ankle sprain). 

In his first season as a Jaguar, Kirk ranked among the league's top-15 in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns (84 receptions, 1108 yards, 8 touchdowns). 

The seventh-year veteran was on pace to finish with similar numbers last season (80 receptions, 1112 yards, 4 touchdowns) before suffering a season-ending groin tear in Week 13. Despite missing the final five games of the season, Kirk still managed to put up respectable numbers (57 receptions, 787 yards) as the Jaguars second-leading receiver. 

Kirk’s ability to change directions through an array of sudden breaks and jabs make it difficult for defensive backs to get a hand on him while operating in traffic. By diagnosing coverages early in his route, Kirk is able to effectively attack a defender's leverage. His tendency to change speeds and throttle down (or accelerate) based on a defense's coverage helps him create seperation from defenders, particularly on in-breaking routes.

Kirk’s 95% True Catch Rate (percentage of receptions from catchable targets) places him among the top 15 in the league. His flexibility allows him to contort his body and adjust to make tough catches, often staying on his feet.

As the Jaguars most productive returning receiver, Kirk appears poised to repeat his performance from 2022 if he can remain healthy. 

Gabe Davis

The former Buffalo Bill signed a three-year $39 million dollar contract deal with the Jaguars in March. 

Davis’ best statistical season came in 2022, when he hauled in 48 passes for 836 yards and 7 touchdowns. Through four seasons with the Bills, Davis never caught more than 50 passes in a year. His low reception total likely stems from Stefon Diggs earning the lion's share of targets among Bills receivers.  

Despite his relatively pedestrian statistics, Davis has a knack for turning in his best performances when he is needed the most. 

His career-defining moment (up to this point) came in the 2022 AFC Divisional Round against the Kansas City Chiefs, where he set an NFL record by catching four touchdowns in one game. Another impressive performance by Davis came this season, in a Week 16 24-22 win against the Chargers. Davis helped keeped the Bills playoff hopes alive by hauling in six passes for 130 yards and a touchdown.

The former Bill has established himself as a deep-threat, which also helps him gain large chunks of yardage on comeback and curl routes. Davis excels at threatening the defensive back vertically with his speed, then efficiently changing directions to come back to the ball. The former UCF Knight has finished among the top ten in yards per catch in each of the last two seasons (#7 in 2023, #3 in 2022).

The fifth-year veteran’s season ended early last year, after suffering a PCL sprain in Week 18 that forced him to miss both of the Bills playoff games. Although Davis’ knee has been gradually recovering throughout the off-season, Head Coach Doug Pederson expects him to be ready for training camp.

Brian Thomas Jr.

Over a decade has passed since the Jaguars drafted a wide receiver in the first round. Based on Brian Thomas Jr’s performance against some of college football's top talent, the selection was well deserved. 

Although he finished as LSU’s second-leading receiver, Thomas Jr still managed to catch 68 passes for 1,177 yards and FBS-leading 17 touchdowns. 

At the 2024 NFL Combine, Thomas Jr. continued to turn heads. The former LSU Tiger measured 6 foot 3 and 209 pounds while running a 4.33 40-yard dash (second fastest among all receivers) and posting a 38 inch vertical jump.

Although he has the height of a traditional outside receiver, Thomas Jr also appears comfortable lining up in the slot, even as the receiver closest to the tackle in trips sets. The former college basketball prospect baits press-defenders with point-guard-like hesitation moves before suddenly switching directions and accelerating. According to PFF, he ranked in the 87th percentile in gaining separation from defenders. 

While collegiate defenders struggled to contain Thomas Jr off the line of scrimmage, one of his own habits can potentially cause some minor issues at the professional level. The 1st round pick takes a “false step”  (a step backwards) nearly every time that the ball is snapped, even without a press defender. Receivers (often younger, or injured ones) take this step in efforts to gather themselves and build up speed, but it has the potential to disrupt timing and delay a quarterback's reads. 

Thomas’ exceptional performance at the college level, and his willingness to learn and evolve put him in a position to emerge as one of the league's top young wide receivers in 2024.

Parker Washington

After finishing among Penn State's top-15 in program history for receptions, yards and receiving  touchdowns, Washington was selected by the Jaguars in the sixth round of the 2022 draft. 

The Penn State product posted a modest stat-line in 2023 (16 receptions, 232 yards and 2 touchdowns), but served as a reliable option toward the end of the season. After Christian Kirk’s season-ending groin injury, Washington played at least 25 snaps in the last five games of the season (0 receptions before Week 12).

At 5 foot 9 and 202 pounds, Washington possesses eerily similar traits to Kirk (5 foot 10, 200 pounds).  Washington’s broad catch radius (6 foot wingspan) sets him apart from other shorter receivers that are limited due to arm length. Similarly to Kirk, Washington operates well in the face of chaos. While crossing through the middle of the field on drag and seam routes, Washington evades defenders through a variety of elusive second-level release techniques.

While the second-year player doesn't have blinding track speed like Brian Thomas Jr, Washington’s ability to effortlessly explode off the line of scrimmage helps him pose an immediate threat to defensive backs. Within his first few steps, he builds up a significant amount of acceleration that can also make him useful on screen passes and jet sweeps. 

After flashing his potential toward the end of his rookie year, the departure of two key receivers leaves Parker Washington next in line to serve as a reliable contributor. While Christian Kirk will likely serve as the Jaguars primary slot receiver, Washington should see playing time as the team's fourth receiver. 

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